NC Fusion: Recent Episodes
NC Fusion
Welcome to the NC Fusion Podcast. This is the chance for our membership and community to hear about the things we are doing as an organization, meet people who are involved and get an inside look at things going on in NC Fusion.
The NC Fusion “For Life” Podcast sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is focused on highlighting NC Fusion Alumni. NC Fusion believes that its mission of “providing intentional experiences through sport to positively impact people FOR LIFE” is seen best through the true stories of its alumni.
In this podcast Scott Wollaston, CEO, will interview Jordan Holthouser who will share about his youth soccer journey in Twin City Soccer, his current role in coaching at NC Fusion, and how his youth sports journey shaped him in these pursuits in the “real world”.
Grab your favorite morning beverage and join us for another Coffee Conversation sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist with NC Fusion’s CEO, Scott Wollaston, and CXO, Sarah Bridges.
This episode answers real questions from real parents in the club (using fake names, of course) including questions about whether to move your child from the recreation program to the junior academy and how to balance the desire to “win” versus the “long term development” as a parent with your child.
Oh, and there might be a BONUS “dad joke” in there too….
The NC Fusion “For Life” Podcast sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is focused on highlighting NC Fusion Alumni. NC Fusion believes that its mission of “providing intentional experiences through sport to positively impact people FOR LIFE” is seen best through the true stories of its alumni.
In this podcast Scott Wollaston, CEO, will interview Nik Grundseth who will share about his youth soccer journey, his entrepreneurial pursuits of owning his own business (TCC Junk Removal), and how his youth sports journey shaped him in these pursuits in the “real world”.
Grab your favorite morning beverage and join us for another Coffee Conversation sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist with NC Fusion’s CEO, Scott Wollaston, and CXO, Sarah Bridges.
This episode answers real questions from real parents in the club (using fake names, of course) including questions about the balance of external rentals and events at our facilities versus membership programming, and also about the possibility of training facilities centrally located in the Triad for Fusion programming.
Oh, and there might be a “dad joke” in there too….
Grab your favorite morning beverage and join us for another Coffee Conversation sponsored by Atrium Health with NC Fusion’s CEO, Scott Wollaston, and CXO, Sarah Bridges.
This episode answers real questions from parents in the club including questions about how player fees are set and how to navigate all the different levels of soccer.
Grab your favorite morning beverage and join us for another Coffee Conversation with NC Fusion’s CEO, Scott Wollaston, and CXO, Sarah Bridges.
This episode answers real questions from parents in the club including questions about the oversight and evaluation of coaches, the nature of coaching changes and the club wide evaluation and awareness of all players at all levels.
Grab your favorite morning beverage and join us for another Coffee Conversation with NC Fusion’s CEO, Scott Wollaston, and CXO, Sarah Bridges. Today’s episode is all about mental health and how we can provide better support for our athletes. Joining us is Dr. Kim Quigley of Onrise – NC Fusion’s newest partner in the mental health space – who empowers the athletes in your life through athlete-specific peer support, therapy, psychiatry, and crisis services.
The NC Fusion “For Life” Podcast sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is focused on highlighting NC Fusion Alumni. In this podcast John Pardini, ECNL Girls Director will interview Sarah and Molly Widderich who will share about their youth soccer journeys, their current playing experiences, and how their youth experiences are shaping who they are today.
Join Scott Wollaston, Chief Executive Officer, and Sarah Bridges, Chief Experience Officer, in today’s NC Fusion Coffee Conversation focused on all things TEAM MANAGERS! These unsung heroes are a vital volunteer role within our organization, and we dive right into all the things they do and don’t do in this role. In addition, in the final minutes, we share a staff secret that many members never knew! Don’t miss it!
The NC Fusion “For Life” Podcast sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is focused on highlighting NC Fusion Alumni. In this podcast we will hear from Gerry Gibson, former player in NC Fusion (as a former player at Twin City Youth Soccer Association) and director of the recent full length documentary “Through the Lines” which follows the story of the 2021 season for the NC Fusion USL 2 Team. Gerry shares about his youth soccer journey along and gives a behind-the-scenes perspective on this incredible film that debuted at the River Run Film Festival in Spring 2024.
Join us for another Coffee Conversation as NC Fusion’s CEO, Scott Wollaston, and CXO, Sarah Bridges, discuss all things Fusion while answering member’s FAQs in the time you finish a nice cup of coffee. In this episode, we will be chatting with JP Strachan, Burlington Soccer Club’s Director, as we prepare for the exciting merger between NCF and BSC this summer. During our time together, we will hear about the history of the program, our current partnership and behind-the-scenes-work, and the fun to come ahead. Toss in a few dad jokes and it’s a can’t-miss episode!
The NC Fusion “For Life” Podcast sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is focused on highlighting NC Fusion Alumni. In this podcast we will hear from Cooper Vandermaas Peeler, former player in NC Fusion (as a member of Guilford United Soccer and Burlington Soccer Club), former collegiate player at UNC Chapel Hill and Elon University, and current coach at Burlington Soccer Club. Cooper shares about his soccer journey, his personal journey, and how his experiences have shaped him into being a coach at NC Fusion.
Grab a cup of joe and join us for another Coffee Conversation with NC Fusion’s Executive Director, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges. In this episode, we focus our attention on our pre-professional women’s program - the NC Fusion USL W team! Joining the conversation is Head Coach, Anthony Suarez. He guides us through all things USL W and what this fantastic, summer program brings to NC Fusion, the community, and even more, how you can support!
The NC Fusion “For Life” Podcast sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is focused on highlighting NC Fusion Alumni. In this podcast we will hear from Wells Thompson, former professional in Major League Soccer, Wake Forest Alum, and NC Fusion (by way of Twin City Soccer) alum who will share about his soccer journey, his personal journey, and how his soccer experiences have shaped what he is doing today through Soccer Resilience.
It’s time for another Coffee Conversation with NC Fusion’s Executive Director, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges. Grab your drink of choice and join us as we dive into discussing NC Fusion’s Recreation Program. Jumping on the call is none other than Head of Rec, Andrew Fleming, and we chat through all things that make the rec program what it is – one of the most important programs in our organization.
Snag a cup of coffee and join NC Fusion’s Executive Director, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges, as they tackle a few of our members’ FAQs. This Coffee Conversation highlights an upcoming January event that is near-and-dear to our soccer coaching staff – the United Soccer Coaches’ Convention: an event where many coaching staff attend to develop, learn, and network. In the time you finish your cup of coffee, you’ll learn what it is, why it’s important, and who all is involved? Joined by Head of Soccer Ops, Kiley Cirillo, we’ll unveil a behind-the-scenes look at the heart of the event. Don’t miss out!
The NC Fusion “For Life” Podcast sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is focused on highlighting NC Fusion Alumni. In this podcast we will hear from Madi Pry who will share about her soccer journey, what she’s doing now, and how her soccer experiences have shaped who she is today.
Snag a cup of coffee and join NC Fusion’s Executive Director, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges, as they tackle a few of our members’ FAQs. This Coffee Conversation highlights the behind-the-scenes initiatives and resources that are happening to help our coaches continually improve – not only for our athletes, but for themselves. Head of Education, Mark Simpson, joins us and expounds on two specific coaching development initiatives this year: the Mentorship Program and the Coaching Evaluation Process.
The NC Fusion “For Life” Podcast sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is focused on highlighting NC Fusion Alumni. In this podcast we will hear from Tanner Beason, current Major League Soccer player and NC Fusion alum who will share about his soccer journey, his current experience in Major League Soccer, and how his youth soccer experiences have shaped who he is today.
Grab a cup of coffee and join NC Fusion’s Executive Director, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges, as they tackle a few of our members’ FAQs. This Coffee Conversation talks about all things weather – our operations as an organization, what goes behind decision-making when it’s raining or snowing or high temps, and overall general processes. They’re bringing in Head of Operations and Facilities, Austin Homan (aka “Hurricane Homan”) to guide our listeners through the most unpredictable part of outdoor sports – the weather.
The NC Fusion “For Life” Podcast sponsored by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is focused on highlighting NC Fusion Alumni. In this podcast we will hear from Sarah Niblock (formerly Sarah Peatross) who will share about her soccer journey, what she’s doing now, and how her soccer experiences have shaped who she is today.
[11:55 AM] Sarah Bridges
Snag your breakfast beverage and join NC Fusion’s CEO, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges, as they tackle a few of our members’ FAQs. This coffee conversation focuses on our older members of the organization – our ADULTS. Joined by Head of Core Sports, Noah Downs, and Physical Therapist, Dr. Ali Hartman, we’ll talk through the benefits of adults in sport and how you can get active, today!
Grab a cup of coffee and join NC Fusion’s CEO, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges, as they tackle a few of our members’ FAQs. This Coffee Conversation hones in on one of the most difficult parts of the youth sports world – tryouts! How can we as parents help our kids navigate the highs and lows of the tryout season and the stress that it inevitably brings? We’re joined by Gordon MacLelland from Working with Parents in Sport, and his wisdom and experience in this space makes this podcast a “can’t miss”!
Grab your brewed coffee and join Executive Director, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges, for another Coffee Conversation where they tackle FAQs from our membership. In this episode, they discuss NC Fusion’s lines of communication and what to do when an issue comes up during your experience with NC Fusion. While we wish we did everything right, we know there are situations that need to be worked through. Join us in learning a bit more on how to approach that key moment in your player’s journey.
It’s time for another Coffee Conversation with NC Fusion’s Executive Director, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges. Grab your drink of choice and join us as we dive into discussing NC Fusion’s sports’ partnership across the Triad – what are they, why do we have them, and who are they for?
Grab a cup of joe and join Executive Director, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges, for another Coffee Conversation where they tackle FAQs from our membership. In this episode, they discuss the NC Fusion offerings that often go under the radar within the outreach arm of NC Fusion and how you can get involved. The impact is great, but the need is greater! Join us to be a part of providing access to sport for ALL.
Scott speaks with Matt Spear from Love United FC. Matt will share some of the challenges that he sees amongst professionals in sports, specifically in their mental/emotional well being, along with how he has been working with NC Fusion and helping to improve the wellbeing of our staff.
Grab a cup of coffee and join NC Fusion’s Executive Director, Scott Wollaston, and Chief Experience Officer, Sarah Bridges, as they tackle a few of our members’ FAQs. This Coffee Conversation edition highlights our holistic approach to player development, our club coaches’ responsibility, and one of the hottest topics in youth sports – winning.
Scott interviews Richard Beard, President of the Greensboro Sports Foundation, and Gary Gartner, NC Fusion Head of Tournaments and Events to talk about the economic impact of sports in the Triad and why it matters!
Scott interviews Micheala Amidon, co-director of Beyond Sports NC, about the access to sport that her organization provides in partnership with NC Fusion, mainly through the local school system. Hear this innovative and impactful initiative that is going on in the Triad Sports community!
Scott interviews NC Fusion Head Referee Assignor, Roger Morton, to talk his incredible background as an official, as well as discussing the current challenges with officials, as well as how the club is putting together solutions to address these challenges.
Scott interviews Terry Hales, NC Fusion Board President, about his experience on the NC Fusion Board and to talk about what a Board of Directors does in a Non Profit, specifically NC Fusion.
Scott chats with Lyndsey Boswell, NC Fusion Girls Lacrosse Director and Head Coach at High Point University, about the state of Girls lacrosse, her background in the sport, and the great opportunities at NC Fusion lacrosse.
Scott interviews Andrew Fleming, NC Fusion Recreation Soccer Director about the crazy logistics of running a large recreation program, the incredible impact that the program has, and the fun stories that he’s experienced in his many years of working in soccer…Plus, he has a perfect Radio voice!
In this NC Fusion podcasts, the tables are turned as Chad Hansen, NC Fusion Board member, interviews Scott Wollaston, NC Fusion Executive Director, about his role at NC Fusion and the vision for the organization.